Far-right Israeli minister says 'all of Lebanon must burn' after four soldiers killed
Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir stated on Friday that "all of Lebanon must burn" following the Israeli military's announcement of the deaths of four soldiers in Lebanon. These are the first Israeli fatalities reported since the signing of a US-Iran agreement aimed at ending the West Asia war.
The deal was also intended to halt fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Washington has expressed frustration over Israel's ongoing military operations in the region.
"With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not up for bargaining. All of Lebanon must burn," Ben Gvir said in a statement. He added, "For every tear shed by an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers must weep. In the Near East, you don't win with measured responses and restraint."
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also weighed in, stating that Israel must "go wild. Eradicate. Defeat terrorism" and "let fire speak... and open the gates of hell," though he did not explicitly mention Lebanon.
The US-Iran agreement is widely viewed in Israel as detrimental to its interests, signaling a failure by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure US President Donald Trump addresses Israeli security demands. Netanyahu faces pressure ahead of elections scheduled by the end of October.
A poll published on Friday by the newspaper Maariv found that 63% of Israelis are "worried" about Israel's future following the deal.
Avigdor Lieberman, head of the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu opposition party, called for a "heavy price" to be exacted in Lebanon "from which the other side will never recover." He wrote on X that if Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, "are still standing, this is a direct failure of the prime minister and the defence minister."
